MERCY, MERCIFUL (רָחַם, H8163, to have compassion; רַחֲמִים, H8171, compassion; חֶ֫סֶד֮, H2876, loving-kindness, steadfast love; חָנַנ֒, H2858, to be gracious; חֵנ֒, H2834, grace, favor; חָמַל, H2798, to spare, have compassion; חֶמְלָה, H2799, compassion, mercy; חוּס, H2571, to pity; ἐλεέω, G1796, to be merciful; ἔλεος, G1799, mercy, compassion; ἔλεήμων, merciful, sympathetic; οἰκτίρω, G3882, to have mercy; οἰκτιρμός, G3880, pity, mercy, compassion; οἰκτίρμων, G3881, merciful, compassionate; ἵλεως, G2664, gracious, merciful; σπλαγχνίζομαι, G5072, to be moved with compassion).

1. Definition. Present usage identifies mercy with compassion, in the sense of a willingness to forgive an offender or adversary and, more generally, simply by a disposition to spare or help another. This disposition, although inwardly felt, manifests itself outwardly in some kind of action. It is evident that mercy combines a strong emotional element, usually identified as pity, compassion, or love, with some practical demonstration of kindness in response to the condition or needs of the object of mercy. See [http://biblegateway/wiki/Compassion, Pity COMPASSION].

In defining the word mercy, as employed by various Eng. VSS, one must consider a variety of Heb. and Gr. terminology. Such a consideration will not only illuminate the richness of mercy vocabulary, but will demonstrate something of the difficulty experienced by trs. in past attempts at uniformity in handling the subject.

2. Mercy in the OT. a. רָחַם, H8163. This is the most common of the Heb. root-concepts used by modern trs. for “mercy.” It conveys the original sense of a physical seat of the compassion felt for another, whether identified with the bowels (modern equivalent: heart) or the womb (Gen 43:30; 1 Kings 3:26). This physically-based emotion most naturally expresses itself in the context of family or fraternal ties. It is the expected reaction of a mother toward her sucking child (Isa 49:15), of a father toward his dear son (Jer 31:20), of a lover toward his betrothed (Hos 2:19), and of a brother toward his brother (Amos 1:11).

As a denominative Piel verb, rḥm can describe the attitude of God in response to the misery of His people (2 Kings 13:23, where it is based both on their condition and God’s remembrance of His covenant), or simply the sovereign attitude of God in response to His will (Exod 33:19, with which cf. Rom 9:15). When man is the subject, rḥm is seen as a natural response where there is already some family tie (u.s.). Where no such tie exists, as in the case of a conqueror who shows compassion toward the conquered, the Bible uniformly attributes the real motivation to God, whose action behind the scenes creates compassion in an otherwise uncompassionate individual (cf. Isa 13:18; Jer 6:23; 21:7 with 1 Kings 8:50 and Jer 42:12).

As a noun, rachamîm (a pl. of intensity) is simply that emotion of pity, compassion, or love which is activated in each of the relationships noted above. Psalm 103:4 points to rachamîm as a quality extended to the redeemed as one of Yahweh’s benefits. Daniel 9:9 shows it to be a characteristic of God in light of which the rebellious may make their plea. It is mercy that gives a covenant-man hope for continued relationship with his God, and, in fact, it is this quality which the believer is commanded to exemplify in his relationships with others, particularly those in special need (Zech 7:9, 10). This latter prophetic commandment points back to the true cause of mercy, i.e., the pitiable condition of the one in need.

b. חֶ֫סֶד֮, H2876. A second Heb. word, ḥesed, is rendered “mercy” by the KJV, but, with the exception of Psalm 23:6, the tr. does not appear in the RSV. In the latter VS, “steadfast love” is the usual substitute, a change reflecting widespread acceptance of the work of Nelson Glueck, whose 1927 dissertation demonstrated the connection of ḥesed with covenant terminology. It has been shown to include, at least in earlier material, the element of loyalty, devotion, or faithfulness to the demands of a covenant (Exod 20:6; Josh 2:12-14). In the later writings, however, it moves beyond this sense of obligation and is charged with an indefinable but clearly emotional content. This manifestation of kindness and goodness, compassion and sympathy, both as demonstrated by God (Jer 3:13) and as required of man (Zech 7:9, where ḥesed and rachamîm are parallel), makes ḥesed almost indistinguishable from rachamîm.

c. חָנַנ֒, H2858. A third shade of meaning connected with the concept of mercy is seen in the Heb. verb chnn and its derivatives. The verbal form is normally tr. by the KJV as “Be merciful” in the Psalms, and as “Be gracious” or “Show favor” in other passages. The RSV more consistently follows the tr. “Be gracious,” but makes exceptions (Deut 7:2; Pss 57:1; 123:2, 3).

The root idea is found in the frequently used noun chēn, simply meaning favor, success, acceptance, or even, in modern terms, good fortune (Gen 39:4; Num 32:5), and usually incorporated into the expression, “find grace in the eyes of....” Although it is still the condition of the suppliant to which appeal is made (cf. Job 19:21 where chnn is tr. “Have pity on me”), the emphasis is on the success granted to the one in need.

That such response is not limited to God is shown by the advice given to man to show favor, or be kind, to the poor, the needy, widows, and orphans (Pss 37:21, 26; 112:5; Prov 14:21, 31; 19:17; 28:8, all in wisdom context). The sense of pitying or sparing the object of chnn is even more explicit in Deuteronomy 7:2 where the Israelites are commanded, “make no covenant with them, and show no mercy to (or ‘do not spare’) them.”

d. חָמַל, H2798, and חוּס, H2571. Two final Heb. words form a minor part of the mercy vocabulary. Each one in its verbal form may be tr. “to show compassion,” “to pity,” or “to spare.” Whether the inclination originates from the plight of the object or within the mind of the one acting must be determined from the context.

3. Mercy in the NT. In the NT, concepts included in the roots hsd, rhm, hnn, hml, and hus often are expressed by words other than mercy. (See Atonement; Bowels; [http://biblegateway/wiki/Faith, Faithfulness FAITHFULNESS]; Forgiveness; and Grace.)

a. ἔλεως. The common term for mercy, eleos, and its verb eleëō, used both in the LXX and the NT, stand normally in the gospels for compassion in the sense of rahamîm. Matthew and Luke, in particular, present several kinds of human need, each with its appeal to Jesus based on His mercy. Blind men cry for sight (Matt 9:27; 20:30, 31; Mark 10:47, 48; Luke 18:38, 39); a Canaanite woman appeals on behalf of her daughter (Matt 15:22); a father seeks peace for his possessed son (Matt 17:15); and ten lepers plead for their cleansing (Luke 17:13). It is to the mercy, or compassion, of Abraham, that the rich man appeals (16:24), and it is that same attribute in the Good Samaritan which Jesus commends (10:37). It is perhaps this same kind of compassion for the needy that Jesus listed as one of those “weightier matters of the law” (Matt 23:23) so neglected in Pharasaic religion. By contrast, to be “full of mercy” (ἐλεήμων, G1798), was to be a mark of the subject of Jesus’ kingdom, as shown in the familiar Beatitude (5:7).

Eleos in the sense of hesed (i.e., the covenant faithfulness owed to one another in mutual relationships) is also found in the gospels, esp. in the several references to eleos employed in Mary’s Magnificat (Luke 1:50, 54) and Zechariah’s prophecy (1:72, 78). Such usage, however, is never seen as mere legal obligation. Rather, it is an internalizing of the obligations of the covenant, so strongly proclaimed in the prophetic kerygma (Hos 6:6 KJV), that Jesus urged on the covenant people of His day (Matt 9:13 RSV; 12:7). It was only as the Pharisees learned the true meaning of hesed, a meaning intimately connected with rahamîm, that they could accept the meeting of human need and a redemptive ministry to sinful men as the true fulfillment of covenant obligation.

In the epistles eleos has come to have almost the same meaning as charis, a word used to tr. the Heb. hēn or “grace,” but with a much more developed theological content. If there is a difference, it is prob. that suggested by Trench, i.e., that charis is God’s free grace extended to men as they are guilty, whereas eleos is God’s love extended to men as they are miserable (Trench, 163f.). Eleos appears as parallel to, or substitute for, grace in several apostolic salutations (1 Tim 1:2; 2 John 3; Jude 2). Further, it is the active agent of God’s love (Eph 2:4); it reaches out to the disobedient (Rom 11:32, but note the covenant context both here and in Rom 9:15, 16, 18, 23); it is the basis of special ministries or abilities (2 Cor 4:1); and it enables the sinner to become a trusted saint (1 Cor 7:25). Finally, mercy is that indispensable gift which is required on the final day for a man who must stand before a holy God (2 Tim 1:18).

b. οἰκτιρμός, G3880. A second, less frequent word also reflects the thought behind rahamîm, and appears as the pl. (prob. to be regarded as a Semitism) designation of God’s collected sympathies and concerns (Rom 12:1; 2 Cor 1:3). The verbal form is used only once (Rom 9:15) where it is obviously parallel to eleëō. When applied to human emotions, oiktirmos clearly shows the same physical seat of deep concern that was noted earlier in rahamîm, a thought evident in its relationship to splagchna, “bowels” (Col 3:12 KJV and Phil 2:1 RSV, the latter of which is a hendiadys).

4. Summary. Mercy, therefore, in Biblical usage, is many-faceted. Basic to the concept is God’s care for man in his wretchedness and creatureliness. This emotionally-based response manifests itself in His redemptive acts. The man responding to God sees in himself one who has received mercy; therefore he in turn must show mercy to his fellow man.

Bibliography J. Pedersen, Israel, Its Life and Culture, I-II (1926), 309, 525; W. F. Lofthouse, “Hen and Hesed in the OT,” ZAW, XLI (1933), 29-35; R. Bultmann, “ἔλεος, G1799,” TDNT, II (1964, Ger. original 1935), 477-487; F. Büchsel, “ἱλεως,” TDNT, III (1965, Ger. original 1938), 300, 301; W. E. Vine, An Expository Dictionary of NT Words, III (1940), 60-63; N. H. Snaith, The Distinctive Ideas in the OT (1944), 95; N. H. Snaith, “Loving-kindness,” RTWB (1951), 136, 137; R. Bultmann, “οἰκτιρμός, G3880,” TDNT, V (1967, Ger. original 1954), 159-161; C. H. Dodd, The Bible and the Greeks (1954), 55-69; U. Masing, “Der Begriff Hesed im Alttestamentlichen Sprachgebrauch,” Charisteria Iohanni Kopp: Papers of the Estonian Theological Society in Exile #7 (1954), 29-63; W. L. Reed, “Some Implications of hen for OT Religion,” JBL, LXXIII (1954), 36-41; A. R. Johnson, “Hesed and Hasid,” Interpretationes ad Vetus Testamentum Pertinentes Sigmundo Mowinckel (1955), 100-112; W. Eichrodt, Theology of the Old Testament, I (1961), 232-239; L. J. Kuyper, “Grace and Truth,” Reformed Review, XVI (1962), 1-16; N. Glueck, Hesed in the Bible (1967, rev. from Ger. original, 1927).